Imagine yourself in Ancient Greece (540 BC, to be exact), about halfway between Athens and Sparta. You’re in Corinth, site of the newly rebuilt Temple of Apollo, replacing one built in 625. The city of Corinth was occupied from around 6500 BC, and was founded by Corinthos, a descendant of the god of the sun, Helios. Would you be surprised to fast forward thousands of years and realize that the Temple of Apollo at Corinth is one of the oldest surviving temples from ancient Greece?The Temple of Apollo was built by Cypselus, who was the very first tyrant of Corinth, ruling for three decades. In 650 BC, he built temples to Apollo and Poseidon. Later, during the classical era (5th-4th centuries BC), Corinth developed a classical architectural style that is still being used today, the Corinthian order (symbolized by carved, detailed tops to columns). This was based on the great wealth and lavish lifestyle in Corinth; while the Doric style of architecture focused on simple living (like the Spartans; symbolized by flat, square tops to columns), and the Ionic style of architecture struck a balance between the two styles, following the philosophical bent of harmony in all things (including the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, symbolized by curved tops to columns).

The Temple of Apollo was built in the Doric Style, with 6 columns at each end, and 15 columns along each side. They are made from single pieces of stone (monolithic), quarried from the limestone ridge nearby. Each column is over 23 feet high! Today, seven of the columns remain standing, with a bit of the entablature (top) resting atop these columns

Download a larger image and share the photo with your class, then try these discussion questions and classroom activities:

Look at these drawings of the Temple of Apollo over time (1751-1927) . How do artists choose to represent their reality? Do you think it is a good idea to leave out roads, villages, mountains, in the name of artistic license?